Edger stacker

ABSTRACT

An edger-stacker apparatus for stacking letter mail on a long lower edge of the letters. The apparatus includes a pair of input belts which deliver letters to an entry point, whence they are deflected by a first portion of a stacking plate supported on a table to a stack of letters already stacked by the apparatus. The stacking plate has a second portion upstanding from the table, which portion has an opening therein. A pusher plate passes through the second portion to push the stack of letters (already stacked) away from the second portion to provide a clearance for the next approaching letter to be inserted between the stack and the second portion of the stacking plate. As the pusher plate advances out of the opening in the second portion of the stacking plate, it moves the nearest letter in the stack towards an edger plate to &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;edge&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; the letter. An orbital-type drive is used to drive the pusher plate and create a vibration on the table, which facilitates edging of the letters.

Frazier et a1.

[451 June 6, 1972 EDGER STACKER Inventors: John R. Frazier, Dayton;Larry D. Longstreth, Wilmington, both of Ohio Assignee: The NationalCash Register Company,

Dayton, Ohio Filed: Sept. 4, 1970 Appl, No.: 69,559

[52] US. Cl ..2l4/7, 271/87 [51] Int. Cl ..B65g 57/00 [58] FieldofSearch ..2l4/7; 271/87, 68

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,286 4/1956 Williams eta1. ..271/87 X 2,844,373 7/1958 Van Marle ..271/87 2,930,476 3/1960Andrews ..214/7 UX 3,092,380 6/1963 Anderson et al ..271/87 X 3,188,9456/1965 Renauer ..27l/87 X 3,374,904 3/1968 Francois ..214/7 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l,390,lO4 l/1965 France ..2 1 4/7 PrimaryExaminer-Robert J. Spar Attorney-Louis A. Kline, Albert L. Sessler, Jr.and Elmer Wargo ABSTRACT An edger-stacker apparatus for stacking lettermail on a long lower edge of the letters. The apparatus includes a pairof input belts which deliver letters to an entry point, whence they aredeflected by a first portion of a stacking plate supported on a table toa stack of letters already stacked by the apparatus. The stacking platehas a second portion upstanding from the table, which portion has anopening therein. A pusher plate passes through the second portion topush the stack of letters (already stacked) away from the second portionto provide a clearance for the next approaching letter to be insertedbetween the stack and the second portion of the stacking plate. As thepusher plate advances out of the open ing in the second portion of thestacking plate, it moves the nearest letter in the stack towards anedger plate to edge the letter. An orbital-type drive is used to drivethe pusher plate and create a vibration on the table, which facilitatesedging of the letters.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 6 I972 3. 667, 623

INVENTORS JOHN R. FRAZIER & LARRY D. LONGSTRETH THEIR ATTOR N YS EDGERSTACKER This invention was produced under a contract with the UnitedStates Post Office Department.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an edger-stackerwhich is used for stacking media like letter mail on a long edge of theletters, with one vertical edge of the letters stacked being aligned ina vertical plane.

In recent years, there has been an increased effort to mechanizemail-handling operations in large post offices. Apparatuses to mechanizethe stacking, sorting, facing, and cancelling of letter mail havealready been produced. The present invention relates to an improvementin an edger-stacker apparatus.

Some of the-prior-art edger-stackers are shown in the following UnitedStates patents: No. 2,926,910, Martin, Mar. 1, 1960, and No. 2,970,537,Wardwell et al., Feb. 7, I961.

Some of the advantages of the present invention are as follows:

l. The invention is of simple design and is inexpensive to manufacture.

2. The invention can handle a wide range of sizes of media.

3. The invention provides an entrance for each piece of media, and hasan orbital action, which facilitates edging.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an edger-stackerapparatus for stacking letter mail on a long lower edge of the letters.The apparatus includes a table for supporting the letters on their lowerlongitudinal edges, and an edger plate upstanding from the table. Aninput means feeds the letters in sequence to an entry point along afirst direction, which is generally perpendicular to the edger plate. Astacking plate, upstanding from the table, has first and secondportions. The first portion is located at the entry point to deflect aletter being fed along a second direction, which diverges away from thefirst direction, and the second portion is positioned along a directionwhich is parallel to the first direction. A letter backing plate meansincluding a backing plate is used to urge letters already edged andstacked towards the second portion of the stacking plate. The secondportion of the stacking plate has therein an opening through whichapusher plate may pass. The pusher plate is driven in an orbital path bya drive means which periodically advances the pusher plate through theopening in the second portion towards the backing plate and towards theedger plate as the pusher plate is advanced through the opening.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a general plan view of theinvention showing an input means, a stacking plate, aletter-backing-plate means, an edger plate, a pusher plate, and drivemeans for moving the pusher plate.

FIG. 2 is a general elevational view of the invention showing moredetails of the drive means for moving the pusher plate and is taken fromthe direction A of FIG. 1. A part of the drive means is shown incross-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 is a general plan view ofthe apparatus of this invention, which is designated generally as 10.The apparatus includes a table 12, an input means 14, a feed area 16, astacking plate means 18, an edger plate 20, a letter backing plate means22, and a pusher plate means 24.

The input means 14 (FIG. 1) includes a pair of endless belts 26 and 28,which are respectively mounted on drive rollers 30 and 32, which arerotated at a constant angular rate in the direction of the arrows on therollers by conventional drive means (not shown). The letter mail to betransported to the feed area 16 by the input means 14 is sandwichedbetween the belts 26 and 28, with a long edge of the letters positionedparallel to the table 12. The axes of rotation of the rollers areperpendicular to the table 12 and are offset slightly along thedirection of travel of the letters, so that varying thicknesses ofletters can be accommodated between the belts 26 and 28.

As the letters leave the belts 26 and 28 (FIG. 1), they travel in afirst direction, which is perpendicular to the edger plate 20, which isvertically positioned on and secured to the table 12. Upon reaching thefeed area 16, a letter being fed is deflected by a first portion 34 ofthe stacking plate means 18. The first portion 34 is a plate which isvertically positioned on and secured to the table 12. The first portion34 is positioned at an angle (a) of about 25 from the first direction,so as to deflect a letter being fed along a second direction, whichdiverges away from the first direction. The stacking plate means 18 alsoincludes a second portion 36, which is vertically positioned on andsecured to the table 12. The plate means 18 is about 5 inches high andhas a curved section 38 joining the first and second portions 34 and 36,respectively.

The letter backing plate means 22 (FIG. 1) includes a generallyrectangular backing plate 40, which is mounted at its ends on sliderbushings 42 and 44. The bushing 42 is slidably mounted on a rod 46,which is supported on conventional brackets (like 48), so as to positionthe rod 46 parallel to the table 12 and parallel to the edger plate 20.The bushing 44 is similarly mounted on a rod 50 by conventional brackets(like 52), so as to similarly position the rod 50 parallel to the table12 and the edger plate 20. The brackets 48 and 52 each have a pulley 54rotatably mounted thereon. A cable 56, having one end secured to thebushing 42, passes over its associated pulley 54 and has a weight (notshown) attached to the remaining end. Similarly, a cable 58, having oneend secured to the bushing 44, passes over its associated pulley 54 andhas a weight (not shown) attached to the remaining end. The backingplate 40, which is maintained in a position perpendicular to the table12 by the construction just described, is used to resiliently urge astack of letter mail already stacked and edged towards the secondportion 36 of the stacking plate means 18. A stack of letter mail isshown in FIG. 1 by the dashed line 60, with the last letter insertedinto the stack being numbered 62, the letters in the stack beingpositioned therein on their lower edges.

The pusher plate means 24, alluded to earlier, is shown in FIGS. 1 and2. To accommodate the pusher plate means 24, the second portion 36 ofthe stacking plate means 18 has therein a rectangular opening 64 (FIG.2). The pusher plate means 24 includes a pusher plate 66, with the rightside 68 (as viewed in FIG. 1) having the arcuate shape shown. The plate66 is secured to a supporting member 70 to be moved thereby. The member70 has vertically-aligned bores (like 72) at opposite ends, which boresare provided with annular shoulders to conventionally support bearings74 and 76, as shown on the left side of the member 70 (as viewed in FIG.2). A shaft 78 is rotatably mounted in the bearings 74 and 76, and isinternally threaded at one end to receive a fastener 80, which securesthe member 70 to the shaft 78. SUitable washers 82 and 84 on the outersides of the bearings 74 and 76 prevent axial movement of the member 70on the shaft 78. The right side 86 of the member 70 is identical inconstruction to the left side thereof, just described. The lower end ofthe shaft 78 (as viewed in FIG. 2) is fixed to one end of a crank arm88, whose remaining end is fixed to one end of a shaft 90 to be rotatedthereby. The shaft 90 is rotatably mounted in a tubular member 92passing through an opening in the table 12. The tubular member 92 has anannular flange 93 on its outer periphery, by which it is secured to thetable 12. The shaft 90 is rotatably mounted in the tubular member 92 bya construction similar to that employed in mounting the shaft 78 in themember 70. The lower end of the shaft 90 is secured to a drive pulley 94to be rotated thereby. A crank arm 96 (identical to the crank arm 88) isdriven by a pulley 98 by a construction identical to that alreadydescribed in relation to the crank arm 88. The crank arm 96 is alsofixed to a shaft (not shown) which is identical to the shaft 78. Bothpulleys 94 and 98 are driven in timed relation by a conventional timingbelt 100, so

that the crank arms 88 and 96 have the same angular displacementrelative to a fixed plane like the one represented by the second portion36 of the stacking plate means 18.

The pulleys 94 and 98 are rotated counter-clockwise (as viewed in FIG.1), so as to produce an orbital motion in the supporting member 70.Because the pusher plate 66 is fixed to the member 70, it too will movein an orbital path while being maintained parallel to the second portion36 of the stacking plate means 18. The pusher plate 66, as shown in FIG.1, is in the process of moving towards the edger plate 20 while it isbeing moved towards the second portion 36. As it continues in thisdirection, it will eventually pass through the opening 64 in the secondportion 36. As the cranks 88 and 96 are further rotatedcounter-clockwise, the pusher plate 66 will pass through the opening 64in the second portion and push against the nearest letter 62 in thestack of letters and tend to edge the letter 62 towards the edger plate20. In pushing against the nearest letter and the stack, an opening willbe created between the letter 62 and the second portion 36. The nextletter to be fed from the belts 26 and 28 will be deflected off thefirst portion 34 and be inserted between the letter 62 and the secondportion 36 and be edged by the pusher plate 66. During the time that thepusher plate 66 is withdrawn through the opening 64, the opening createdbetween the stack of letters and the second portion 36 will remain,because the stack of letters is not responsive enough to close theopening in the short time that the pusher plate 66 takes to emerge againfrom the opening 64. As letters are fed into the stack, they aremaintained in an on edge position by the backing plate 40.

The apparatus is designed to handle letter mail having the followingdimensions:

Length 4.250 inches to 1 1.500 inches Width 3.000 inches to 6.125 inchesThickness 0.006 inch to 0.250 inch Weight 0.1 ounce to 3.0 ounces Thespecific dimensions selected for the various components of the apparatus10 are, of course, dependent upon the particular application used. Whenhandling media, like letter mail, having the above range of sizes, thedischarge speed of the letters coming from the belts 26 and. 28 is 145inches per second, with an average of about 10 letters per second beingfed to the feed area 16. The crank arms 88 and 96 make about 1,725complete revolutions per minute. For a letter of average length, thepusher plate 66 will edge an incoming letter about three times prior tothe entrance of the next letter being fed. The length of the stackingplate means 18 as measured by (d) on FIG. 1 represents the minimumlength of letter which can be handled by the apparatus. The orbitalmotion of the supporting member 70 produces a vibration in the table 12,which facilitates the edging of the letters against the edger plate 20.As the stack of letters on the table increases in size, the backingplate 40 moves away from the stacking plate means 18 to accommodate thelarger stack.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for edging and stacking letters of various sizescomprising:

a table for supporting letters on their lower longitudinal edges;

an edger plate upstanding from said table;

input means for feeding letters in sequence to an entry point in a firstdirection, which is perpendicular to said edger plate;

a stacking plate upstanding from said table and having first and secondportions;

said first portion being located at said entry point to deflect a letterbeing fed along a second direction diverging away from said firstdirection; and

said second portion being positioned along a direction parallel to saidfirst direction;

a letter backing plate means including a backing plate for resilientlyurging letters already edged and stacked towards said second portion ofsaid stacking plate; said second portion of said stacking plate havingan opening therein;

a pusher plate to pass through said opening to contact the last letterbeing fed; and

drive means to periodically advance said pusher plate towards saidbacking plate and said edger plate as said pusher plate passes throughsaid opening in the general direction of said backing plate to edge andstack said letters;

said drive means comprising:

a support member to which said pusher plate is secured,

and

means for orbiting said support member to maintain said pusher plate inparallel relation with said second portion of said stacking plate assaid pusher plate advances through said opening towards said letterbacking plate means and returns therethroughv 2. An apparatus for edgingand stacking letters of various sizes comprising:

a table for supporting letters on their lower longitudinal edges; anedger plate upstanding from said table; input means for feeding lettersin sequence to an entry point in a first direction, which isperpendicular to said edger plate; a stacking plate upstanding from saidtable and having first and second portions; said first portion beinglocated at said entry point to deflect a letter being fed along a seconddirection diverging away from said first direction; and

said second portion being positioned along a direction parallel to saidfirst direction;

a letter backing plate means including a backing plate for resilientlyurging letters already edged and stacked towards said second portion ofsaid stacking plate; said second portion of said stacking plate havingan opening therein; a pusher plate to pass through said opening tocontact the last letter being fed; and drive means to periodicallyadvance said pusher plate towards said backing plate and said edgerplate as said pusher plate passes through said opening in the generaldirection of said backing plate to edge and stack said letters; saiddrive means comprising:

first and second crank members rotatably mounted on said table andhaving first and second crank arms respectively;

first and second shafts fixed to said first and second armsrespectively;

a support member in which said first and second shafts are rotatablymounted in spaced parallel relationship; said pusher plate being fixedto saidsupport member; and means for rotating said first and secondcrank members in timed relation with each other so that the first andsecond crank arms have the same angular displacement relative to areference line so as to maintain said pusher plate parallel to saidsecond portion.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which said first and secondportions of said stacking plate are joined by a curved section, withsaid second portion being adjacent to said edger plate.

1. An apparatus for edging and stacking letters of various sizescomprising: a table for supporting letters on their lower longitudinaledges; an edger plate upstanding from said table; input means forfeeding letters in sequence to an entry point in a first direction,which is perpendicular to said edger plate; a stacking plate upstandingfrom said table and having first and second portions; said first portionbeing located at said entry point to deflect a letter being fed along asecond direction diverging away from said first direction; and saidsecond portion being positioned along a direction parallel to said firstdirection; a letter backing plate means including a backing plate forresiliently urging letters already edged and stacked towards said secondportion of said stacking plate; said second portion of said stackingplate having an opening therein; a pusher plate to pass through saidopening to contact the last letter being fed; and drive means toperiodically advance said pusher plate towards said backing plate andsaid edger plate as said pusher plate passes through said opening in thegeneral direction of said backing plate to edge and stack said letters;said drive means comprising: a support member to which said pusher plateis secured, and means for orbiting said support member to maintain saidpusher plate in parallel relation with said second portion of saidstacking plate as said pusher plate advances through said openingtowards said letter backing plate means and returns therethrough.
 2. Anapparatus for edging and stacking letters of various sizes comprising: atable for supporting letters on their lower longitudinal edges; an edgerplate upstanding from said table; input means for feeding letters insequence to an entry point in a first direction, which is perpendicularto said edger plate; a stacking plate upstanding from said table andhaving first and second portions; said first portion being located atsaid entry point to deflect a letter being fed along a second directiondiverging away from said first direction; and said second portion beingpositioned along a direction parallel to said first direction; a letterbacking plate means including a backing plate for resiliently urgingletters already edged and stacked towards said second portion of saidstacking plate; said second portion of said stacking plate having anopening therein; a pusher plate to pass through said opening to contactthe last letter being fed; and drive means to periodically advance saidpusher plate towards said backing plate and said edger plate as saidpusher plate passes through said opening in the general direction ofsaid backing plate to edge and stack said letters; said drIve meanscomprising: first and second crank members rotatably mounted on saidtable and having first and second crank arms respectively; first andsecond shafts fixed to said first and second arms respectively; asupport member in which said first and second shafts are rotatablymounted in spaced parallel relationship; said pusher plate being fixedto said support member; and means for rotating said first and secondcrank members in timed relation with each other so that the first andsecond crank arms have the same angular displacement relative to areference line so as to maintain said pusher plate parallel to saidsecond portion.
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which saidfirst and second portions of said stacking plate are joined by a curvedsection, with said second portion being adjacent to said edger plate.